1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wet flue gas desulfurization process. More particularly, this invention relates to reducing the amount of purge liquid discharged to a wastewater treatment system from a wet flue gas desulfurization system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Federal, state and even some local governments have laws regulating the emission of particulates, gases and other contaminants present in gas produced in coal combustion. To comply with these laws, industries must implement systems that reduce or eliminate emissions of particulates and/or gases that have been deemed harmful to the environment.
Several technologies and processes have been developed to reduce emissions of such elements. These technologies include desulfurization systems that employ fabric filters, electrostatic precipitators, and wet scrubbers. Desulfurization systems have shown sufficient efficiency in the removal of particulate and gases.
A particularly useful desulfurization system is the wet flue gas desulfurization system. Wet flue gas desulfurization systems (WFGD) purify flue gas which is produced by coal combustion. There are several known designs for WFGD systems. One example of a WFGD system uses small droplets of slurry that contain water and alkaline material, such as lime or limestone, which is sprayed into the flue gas. Another example of a WFGD system bubbles the flue gas through a bed of slurry to remove pollutants. Regardless of the design of the WFGD system, the slurry reacts with sulfur oxides (SOx) present in the flue gas and removes them from the flue gas stream as precipitated compounds.
Besides the removal of SOx from the flue gas stream, the WFGD system also captures HCl and HF gases, which are removed from the flue gas stream and become water soluble salts: CaCl2 and CaF2, respectively. These salts dissociate and yield free Cl− and F− ions which build up in the WFGD system. This buildup can cause corrosion and other damage in the WFGD system, and can negatively affect SOx removal.
Typically, a stream of water or other liquid, or a slurry containing liquid and particles, referred to as a purge liquid, is used to purge chlorides and other unwanted compounds from the WFGD system. The purge liquid helps maintain a desired chloride concentration, which in turn, helps to protect the equipment of the WFGD system from corrosion. The purge liquid is typically diverted to a wastewater treatment facility.
Typically, wastewater treatment facilities used in conjunction with WFGD systems are expensive. The design and supply cost of such a facility can exceed the cost of other systems used in connection with the WFGD plant. The cost of the wastewater treatment facility is even more pronounced when organic acids are used in the WFGD system.
In addition to operating expense, the wastewater treatment facilities require large portions of land, additional equipment, and several buildings. The capital and operating costs of a wastewater facility are dramatically increased when a biological reactor is required to remove organic acids or other constituents that may be used in or captured by the WFGD system.